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EDITORS’ NOTES

Stripped down to a trio while cutting its sophomore album, 2011’s Flying Tigers was the last White Wizzard album with Wyatt "The Screamin' Demon" Anderson on vocals. The Los Angeles band was initially formed by guitarist Jon Leon as a response to the plethora of Hot Topic–clad screamo bands popping up in Southern California—hence White Wizzard’s disciplined take on the more technical aspects of bygone British metal. Hinting at band tension, Anderson wails “You’ll never take me alive!” in the opener, the Iron Maiden–inspired “Fight to the Death.” Conversely, the following feel-good “West L.A. Nights” recalls a time when you couldn’t walk down the Sunset Strip without smelling Aqua-Net hairspray wafting from the rock clubs. And though “Starchild” is a standout with moody arpeggios and romantic heavy metal balladry, the album really kicks in when the last six songs take on a near-progressive stab at conceptual lyricism, starting with the sinister “Night Stalker.” The intricately arranged “Fall of Atlantis” blends early Rush–inspired arrangements with New Wave of British Heavy Metal proficiency.

Flying Tigers

EDITORS’ NOTES

Stripped down to a trio while cutting its sophomore album, 2011’s Flying Tigers was the last White Wizzard album with Wyatt "The Screamin' Demon" Anderson on vocals. The Los Angeles band was initially formed by guitarist Jon Leon as a response to the plethora of Hot Topic–clad screamo bands popping up in Southern California—hence White Wizzard’s disciplined take on the more technical aspects of bygone British metal. Hinting at band tension, Anderson wails “You’ll never take me alive!” in the opener, the Iron Maiden–inspired “Fight to the Death.” Conversely, the following feel-good “West L.A. Nights” recalls a time when you couldn’t walk down the Sunset Strip without smelling Aqua-Net hairspray wafting from the rock clubs. And though “Starchild” is a standout with moody arpeggios and romantic heavy metal balladry, the album really kicks in when the last six songs take on a near-progressive stab at conceptual lyricism, starting with the sinister “Night Stalker.” The intricately arranged “Fall of Atlantis” blends early Rush–inspired arrangements with New Wave of British Heavy Metal proficiency.

TITLE

TIME

Fight to the Death

4:53

West L.A. Nights

4:38

Starchild

5:23

Flying Tigers

5:08

Night Train to Tokyo

5:01

Night Stalker

3:55

Fall of Atlantis

5:08

Blood On the Pyramids

2:57

Demons and Diamonds

9:13

Dark Alien Overture

2:12

War of the Worlds

4:03

Starman's Son

6:37

12 Songs, 59 Minutes

℗ 2011 Earache Records Ltd

About White Wizzard

White Wizzard were formed in 2007 by vocalist James Paul Luna, guitarist James LaRue, bassist Jon Leon, and drummer Tyler Meahl, and, amid the surrounding din of retro-fitted thrash and glam rock bands crowding around them, chose to tackle the New Wave of British Heavy Metal on their eponymous seven-song EP the following year. Boasting cover art designed by Iron Maiden artist Derek Riggs, the EP drew the attention of Earache Records, which included the track "High Speed GTO" in their Heavy Metal Killers compilation in 2009, then reissued the band's EP under that same title. The label also signed White Wizzard to a deal to release their first full-length, but, save for bassist Leon, this will be recorded by a completely new lineup of Wyatt "Screamin' Demon" Anderson (vocals), Chad Yasuhara (guitar), Erik Kluober (guitar), and Jesse Applehans (drums), as the band's remaining original members all decamped to form a new group called Holy Grail in mid-2009. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia